We take a weekly look at mobile and tech stories from around the world. Headlines include… Apple to withhold AI features from Europe, Forget privacy, young internet users want to be tracked, Chinese smartphone maker Honor says AI’s power is ‘worthless’ without data privacy and more…
Apple to withhold AI features from Europe
Mobile World Live
Apple will delay the release of its new features, including the Apple Intelligence generative AI tools, across the European Union due to regulatory concerns related to the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Other features, such as iPhone Mirroring and SharePlay Screen Sharing, will also be withheld in the EU this year. Apple expressed concerns that the DMA’s interoperability requirements might compromise product integrity, user privacy, and data security. The company stated its commitment to working with the European Commission to find a solution that ensures these features can be safely delivered to EU customers.
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Forget privacy, young internet users want to be tracked
FT
Smartphones contain extensive location data, enabling features like food delivery tracking and finding nearby restaurants. However, this precise location tracking can also be used to monitor individuals, raising privacy concerns. While marketed as convenient, the invasive nature of such technology prompts questions about acceptable levels of online surveillance. Ideally, none would be preferred, as privacy advocates strive to limit shared information, and laptops come with built-in webcam covers for this reason. Recently, Microsoft retracted plans to capture PC screenshots every five seconds for AI training due to privacy concerns. Yet, apps like Life360, which offer location tracking, are still popular, especially among younger users. People in their 40s and older, however, show less interest in such features, often perceiving them as reminiscent of dystopian surveillance.
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Chinese smartphone maker Honor says AI’s power is ‘worthless’ without data privacy
CNBC
In an interview with CNBC, George Zhao, CEO of Chinese smartphone company Honor, emphasized that the transformative power of artificial intelligence (AI) is meaningless without robust user data protection. His remarks follow Apple’s recent announcement to launch personalized AI tools in the U.S. this fall. Honor has already integrated several AI functions into its devices, such as gaze-based message opening and seamless app linking to reduce manual steps. At the Mobile World Congress in Shanghai, Honor introduced new AI tools designed to detect deepfake videos and simulate lenses to reduce myopia from prolonged screen use.
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ecta responds to EC’s white paper on Europe’s future digital infrastructure
Mobile Europe
The European Competitive Telecommunications Association (ECTA) has expressed concerns regarding the European Commission’s white paper titled “How to Master Europe’s Digital Infrastructure Needs?” The white paper, published in February, initiated a consultation with various stakeholders, including Member States, civil society, industry, and academics, to gather feedback on the Commission’s proposals and scenarios. ECTA fears that some proposals might favor large operator groups, which were formerly state monopolies. The proposals in the white paper indicate that the telecom sector’s messages have finally been acknowledged. Traditionally, the European Commission has opposed consolidation, arguing that increased competition benefits consumers by keeping prices low and offering more choices.
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PayPal suggests it will be ready to offer ‘offline’ payments when DMA goes into effect
Yahoo
PayPal is developing a new consumer app designed to align with the upcoming EU Digital Markets Act (DMA), which goes into effect next month for major tech companies like Apple. One of the key changes under the DMA is that third-party apps will gain access to the NFC technology currently used by Apple Pay, allowing for more competition in mobile wallet applications. iPhone users will also have the option to set a different mobile wallet as their default.
During its Q4 earnings call, PayPal did not provide detailed plans regarding Apple’s compliance with the DMA or its specific impact on PayPal. This is partly because PayPal already collaborates closely with Apple, offering checkout and payment services across Apple devices, including Macs and iPhones. Additionally, PayPal integrates with Apple Wallet to support features like “Tap to Pay” contactless payments.
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Cellular IoT market rallies in China, India – as rest of world struggles with long Covid
RCR Wireless
The global cellular IoT market is facing challenges with inventory and demand, but China and India are exceptions, showing continued growth in sales of cellular meters, trackers, and other devices. This led to a seven percent increase in the overall IoT module market in the first quarter of 2024, indicating “early signs of recovery” compared to the previous year, according to Counterpoint Research.
The market is expected to regain its strength in 2025, driven by decreasing prices of LTE-based Cat 1 bis, which is gaining market share from NB-IoT and Cat 1 technologies. Additionally, the introduction of reduced capability 5G (RedCap) IoT modules in larger volumes and China’s subsidies for their adoption will further boost the market. In the first quarter, 4G Cat 1 bis accounted for one-third of cellular IoT module sales. Overall, IoT module shipments are projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of nine percent from 2023 to 2030.
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Why the ‘year of gaming’ might be the ad industry’s next ‘year of mobile’
Digiday
At Cannes Lions and beyond, the anticipated “year of gaming” could be to the advertising industry what the “year of mobile” once was.
The concept of the “year of mobile” began around 2012, with marketers predicting a major shift to mobile advertising. However, this transition didn’t happen in a single year but rather evolved gradually over several years until mobile advertising became a standard component of nearly every brand’s marketing strategy.
Now, a similar excitement surrounds gaming advertising. Marketers are approaching gaming with the same enthusiasm, suggesting it could be the next major shift in the industry.
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US examines security risks posed by China Telecom and China Mobile’s operations
Cloud Tech
The Biden administration is reviewing China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom over concerns that these companies might share data accessed from US cloud and internet providers with Beijing. According to three informed sources, this investigation is being conducted by the Commerce Department and has involved serving subpoenas to the companies. The investigation is more advanced for China Mobile and China Telecom, with completed ‘risk-based analyses,’ while the probe into China Unicom is still in its early stages.
Despite past restrictions, these state-backed companies continue to operate some cloud services and manage the routing of US internet traffic, giving them access to American data. This is notable even after US telecom regulators barred them from offering telephone and retail internet services in the country.
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Survey: Fear of Mobile App Security Neglect Rises by 258%
Digit News
Consumers are increasingly demanding the protections outlined in the OWASP Mobile Application Security (MAS) standard, according to Appdome’s 4th Annual Global Consumer Survey of Mobile App Security. The survey highlights a significant challenge for the mobile industry to enhance app protection globally. It reveals that mobile users are highly aware of the rising security, fraud, and privacy threats associated with mobile apps and are calling on mobile brands and enterprises to implement robust defenses against these threats.
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